My GPS is helping me be green

I didn’t realize how much paper and ink I used. I recycled all of my paper in the mixed paper bin out by the dumpster in my apartment complex. I wonder if I would have done that if it wasn’t so convenient. Maybe I would just throw my paper in the trash. Either way, it just doesn’t matter anymore. Most of the paper and ink I used was to print directions. I’m a network engineer and as such I spend quite a bit of my time traveling from client to client. At 2-3 pages for directions for each client it added up to quite a lot of printing. I had thought about saving the directions for each of my clients but then I’d be carrying around a trunk load of paper. Besides that, it would likely be just directions from either my home or my office to the client site. What would I do if I was going from one client to another? I’d have to print new directions.

As I was getting lost on my way to a client in Yonkers I realized that it didn’t matter how many pages I printed. It was just too tough to look at paper and drive in heavy traffic when you’re hopelessly lost. I saw a retailer that I don’t like to admit I shop at but it was the only thing around so I popped in and picked up a GPS. I didn’t spend a lot of money but it turned out to be a really wise investment. I got to where I was going and I no longer need to print directions. I have a small pad where I write the contact information, the phone number and the address. When I go out to my car I punch the address into my GPS and away I go. I can fit 6 clients on a single 5” X 7” piece of paper if I use both sides (and I do). Do you know how many pages of 8.5” X 11” I would need for that if I didn’t have my GPS? Too many.

When I realized how much less printing I’m doing I decided to power down my printer. What used to be continually on in now continually off. I don’t know how much electricity it saves but it’s one less of those constantly glowing lights in my life. Not only am I saving on electricity but I’m also saving on gas. Hardly any printing means hardly and trips to my local retailer to pick up paper and ink. It also means a reduced cost in transportation from the manufacturer to my retailer. And if that weren’t enough, it also means reduced costs from driving around trying to find out where the hell I’m going and how to get there.

So you see, my GPS is actually helping me to become more green.